This cache was placed in honor of my grandfather, Ray Preston, or Pa Ray. He was born, raised and lived the majority of his life in Loraine, minus a few years he spent in Germany while serving in WWII. For many years he owned Preston Dry Goods, where he sold clothing, shoes and cologne. Be sure to stop by the old storefront on the corner of Main Street and Business I-20 and imagine what life must have been like back in the day. Can you spot the old horse hitching rings on the sidewalk?
Pa Ray was a happy, kind-hearted, and generous man who was loved by everyone. He could often be found in the announcer's booth at the football field or behind home plate in an umpire's mask on the baseball field. He enjoyed baseball so much he would keep his own stats while listening to the major league games on the radio. One of my favorite childhood memories is going to a Houston Astros game with Pa Ray where he magically produced a baseball signed by all of the Astros players. Only later did I realize that he signed the baseball after my brother and I waited for hours for an autograph only to come back empty-handed. That baseball was our prized possession!
My wife and I now live in Oregon and placed this cache while visiting family and celebrating my parents' retirement. Parking should be plentiful unless there's a baseball game, see the additional waypoints for parking coordinates. While you're there, take a few moments to walk across the street and read the Historical Marker in the cemetery explaining the significance of Lone Wolf Mountain, which can be seen in the distance.
There's a $10 bill for the FTF. BYOP and happy caching!
CONGRATULATIONS, FISHINGKITTY, ON THIS BEING YOUR 100TH FTF - WELL DONE!
Update August 2021 - Cache has been replaced and is now located about 60 ft to the SE from the original coordinates.